Printing-taximeter



w. ElS-E NSCHMllDi PRINTING TAXIMETER. APPLICATION .HLE'D NOV. 1. 1918.

Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.-

W. EISENSCHMID.

PRINTING TAXIMEIERL APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 191a.

' WKWM 6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES- mvzm'on w. EISENSCHMID.

PRINTINGTAXIMETER.

APPLICATION FILED NQV 1.1918.

F'IGJEI- INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM nI'sENscHMI'n, 0F ETNAQPENNSYL'VANIA, ASSIGNOR 'ro PITTSBURGH,

TAXIMETER ooMPANY, A CORPORATION 'OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PRINTING-TAXIMETER.

Specification of Letters Iatent'j Pate t d O t 4 1921 Application filed Nove ber 1, 1918. Serial Nip- 260,7113.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, W'ILLIAM EISEN- SGHMID, a citizen of the United States, and

a resident of Etna, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania; have.

made a new and-useful Invention in Printing-Taximeters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to. taximeters'for hired vehicles and more particularly to improvements in the device of Patent No. 986,758 issued to Paul Richert on March 4, 1911. i

The device of said patent provides for four separate registrations; 1st, total miles traveled; 2d, extras, such as, extra fares or,

tariffs; 3d, units paid, figured upon distance traveled or time consumed, and4th,number of trips. It has been found by companies operating a number of taxicabs equipped with taximeters of various types that'unscrupulous drivers or chauffeurs can cheat the owners in various ways andan object of this invention is to provide a taximeter (preferably of the type shown in said patcut) by means of which a permanent printed record of all of the registrations (the func tions of the meter) is made, thus reducing .to a minimum the chances to cheat the owners.

A further object is to combine in a taxim v mechanism whereby a continuous permanent printed record is made of each days run of the vehicle and in which the records of each trip- (that is the record made at the beginning of .each trip and at the end of each trip) are segregated from the records of the succeeding trip so that the number of.

trips made for which fare is or should have been collected may be'ascertained by counting the total number-of segregated records.

' These, as well as other objects which will readily appear to those skilled in this art, I attain in the device described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of this applicatlon and throughout which similar elements are denoted b like characters.

In the drawings F igure 1 is a view in side elevation of a device embodying this invention with one side of the outer case or cover removed; Fig. 2 is a similar view looking toward the other side of the device; Fig. 3 1s a view in front elevation of the inner side of the upper portion of the back plate of the device showing in detail the mechanisms permanentlysecured to the back plate; Fig. 4-. is a top plan view of the device, some of the parts of which have been omitted for the purpose of making the View clearer; Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation of the lower half of the back plate showing the indicator and registering wheels in place; Fig. 6 is a view in sectional elevation of the device and showsv in more or less detail the means for operating the units indicator and the units counter; Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of portions of theunits indicating and registering mechanisms; Fig. 9 is a view in elevation of a portion of the printing mechanism; Fig. 10 is a sectional view of a portion of the printing mechanism taken on line 10- 10 of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a .view in :cross section of the mechanism shown in Fig. '9 taken on line 11-11 of said figure; Fig. 12 is an end view in elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 9, the end of the inclosingcase having been removed; Fig. 13 is a detail view of a portion of the mechanisms in F ig; 9; Fig. l tis a fragmentary View in sectional elevation showing": the

place on the ta-Ximeter; Fig. 15 is a detail view of a portion of the mechanism for coupling the printing mechanism to the taximeter flag or fiag staff whereby during the mp anddown movements of said staff the printing mechanism is operated; and Fig. 16 is a fragmentary view of a printed-record strip produced by this device showing the segregation or grouping of the trip records.

I have found that by segregating or grouping the trip records one from the other I am enabled to do away with the register ing mechanism of the device of said patent for the following registrations-1st, the number of miles traveled for which pay is or should have been received, and 2nd, the number of trips run, or initial fares reprinting mechanism illustrated in Fig. 9 in i printed record strip. By means of the printed record stri a permanent history of each of the trips in which the flag is operated is obtained and the chances the driver or chauffeur has to cheat the owner of the vehicle are reduced to a minimum.

The organized device or taximeter is made up of individual units coordinated by suitable mechanism and all but the total mile registers or counters are rendered operative or inoperative by the movements of the flag or flag staff. The total miles counter or register is always connected to the vehicle wheel so as to operate whenever the vehicle is operated irrespective of the position of the flag or flag staff. The total miles counter or register and the unit counter or register as well as the units indicator are automatic in their operation while the extras counter must be manipulated by the chauffeur or driver to indicate and register or count the extras but this can only be done with the flag or staff in the down or engaged. position.

All ofthe individual units are mounted upon the back plate of the device and are covered by a suitable housing secured to the back plate. and provided with a suitable window through which the indicators are visible.

The total miles counter, the units counter and the extras counter, as well as the units and extras indicators, comprise one unit; and clock mechanism for driving the units indicator and register while the taxi is hired but is standing still comprises another unit. The printing mechanism comprises a third unit; and the-back plate with its devices for renderi'ngthe units indicator. and counter and the extras indicator and counter operative or inoperative, as well as the means for locking the flag or its staff and for releasing the same'and the means for actuating the printing mechanism, constitutes a fourth unit. I v

- Printing mechanism;

Since the printing'mechanism is the radically new departure] in the present device not found in the device of said patent I have deemed it advisable to describe this first.

Counter wheels 20 (Fig. 5) of the total miles register,- counterwheels 21 ofthe units register and counter wheels 22 of the extras register are arranged axially in line and the numerals thereon are formed in the nature of raised type reversed for the purpose of printing. The printing mechanism proper is mounted within its own housing 23 (Fig. 14) adapted to be secured and locked to the back plate 24 of the device opposite an opening 25 formed therein which exposes the counter wheels to view. The printing mechanism comprises a platen 26 having a suitable facing 27 of relatively soft material, as

is now common, and slidable within a rectangular guideway or channel 28 toward and from the counter wheels. The platen at each end carries a pin 29 (Fig. 10) and one pin 29 is adapted to slide within a slot 80 formed in the outer end of an actuating lever 31 (Fig. 12) while the other pin slides within a slot32 formed in an actuating lever 33 (Fig. 2). Actuating levers 31 and 33 are carried on the opposite ends of a rotatably mounted shaft 34 suitabl journaled in support plates 35 and 36 (Fig. 9) and a spring 37 is coiled about shaft 34 its opposite ends being hooked over shaft. The central portion of the spring is extended as shown at 39 and rests upon the base of housing 23. The spring therefore tends to rotate said shaft 34 so as to force lever arms 31 and 33 toward the counter wheels and therefore forcing the platen toward the counter wheels. A detent 40 (Fig. 2) pivotally mounted at 41 on support plate 36 at one end is notched as shown at 42 so as to engage a pin 43 carried by lever 33. The other end of the detent is beveled as shown at 44 and the detent is normally held in contact with stop pin 43 by means of a spring 45 which bears against one side of the outer end of the detent.

The record strip as shown in Fig. 16 is rolled on a cylinder 46 (Fig. 14) with the inner end turned into the interior of the cylinder through a slot 47. The outer end of the strip is inserted through a slot 48 in roll 49 and it is secured to said roll 49 by means of pins 50 (Fig. 9). Shaft 51 which carries cylinder 49 is provided with a ratchet wheel 52 (Fig. 11) and a pawl 53 pivotally mounted at 54 on a lever is adapted to rotate ratchet wheel 52 and therefore transfers the strip from cylinder 46 to cylinder 49. As shown in Fig. irraa-ha wheel 52 is provided with teeth of two sizes so that the ratchet lever will rotate cylinder 49 a short distance in each of two successive strokes and then a greater distance the next stroke. Ratchet lever 55, as will be hereinafter set forth, is moved a given distance each time the flag or staff is raised and lowered and since short teeth of the ratchet wheel alternate with long ones around the wheel periphery the record strip is advanced a short distance for each short tooth and a. longer distance for each long tooth, and, as the impressions of the records are made on the record stripimmediately succeeding each advance of the strip, the two records of one trip are segregated from the two next following. A spring 56 wound around shaft 34 bears against ratchet lever 55 and normally holds said lever in depressed position as shown in Fig. 11. A drag is placed on cylinder 46 so as to offer resistance to the unwinding of the strip and this is accomplished by mounting a short cylindrical housing 57 (Figs. 9 and 13) on the shaft of cylinder 46 and by interposing a coiled spring 59 between its inner periphery and shaft 58. The inner end of the spring is secured to the shaft while the other end 60 bears against the inner periphery of the cylinder 57. The cylinder is provided with 1 is operated to print a record every time the flag is raised or lowered and this is accomplished in the following manner. A printing mechanism actuator 67 (Figs. 2, 3 and 5) is mounted for reciprocation on the back plate. 1 The actuator at its lower end is provided with a tripper 68 having a beveled face 69 which on the downward movement of the actuator is arranged tocontact with the outer end 70 (Fig. 2) of lever arm 33 secured to shaft 34 of the printing mechanism, thus causing shaft 34 to rotate in such manner as to move the platen away up-turne end 73 contacts with the outer end Y from the printing wheels by means of the lever arms 33 and 31. As soon as thisoccurs, the spring operated detent 40 moves into the path of stop pin 43 and locks the platen in its inner position. Actuator 67 is provided with an elongated slot 71 and mounted -to slide therein is a bar 72 having .an up turned end 73. Bar 72 is confined within channel 71 and is yieldingly held toward its upper end by means of a coil spring 7 4, one end of which is secured to the upper end of said bar while the other end is secured to a hook 75 carried by the actuator. In the u ward movement of the actuator,

76 of ratchet lever 55 and carries said ratchet with it in its upward movement until saidlever contacts with a shoulder 77 of the indicator mechanism housing which serves as a stop. The ratchet wheel 52 is thus actuated to advance the paper strip a certain distance according to the ratchet tooth engaged. Shoulder 77 prevents further upward travel of actuator bar 72 but in the further upward travel of the actuator 67 tripper 68 contacts with the outer end 44 of detent 40 to release the platen actuating levers 31 and 33 which when released are forced outwardly by spring 37 and carry the platen with them. Upon the next downward movement of the actuator, spring 56 returns ratchet lever 55 to its normal position and the End with a ase plate 80 (Figs. 10 and 11) and the sides 62 and 81 of the platen channel are secured to the base plate which is secured within the printing mechanism housing 23. A ribbon support 82 carrying a pin 83 spans the platen channel at one end and a spring arm 84 (Fig. 9) secured to end plate 35 is provided with a pin 85 which stands in line with the major axis of the platen channel. Aninked ribbon 86 (Fi 10) having centrally disposed eyelets 8 near its opposite ends is held in place above the platen channel by means of pins 83 and 85.

Cylinder 49 is loosely mounted on its shaft 51 and is adapted to be locked thereto by means of a clutch 51 (Fig. 9) which is caused to rotate wit-h shaft 51 by means of a pin and slot engagement with the shaft, the pin 88 being-secured to the shaft and the slot 89 beingfornied in the clutch member.

The clutch member carries a pin 90 adapted to engage with a hole in the end flange 91 of cylinder 49 and pin 90'is normally held an engagement with said hole by means of a coiled sprin 92 which liesbetween end flange 93 and the hub of ratchet wheel 52. When it is desired to unroll the record strip from cylinder 49 this may be done by moving the clutch out of engagement against the stress of spring 92 thus allowing the cyl-- 'lnder 49 to be freely rotated.

The upper end of, printing mechanism actuator 67 by means of a link 94 (Fig. 3) is connected to the outer end of ,a lever 95 pivoted at 96 to the back plate, andlever plates 35 and 3.6 are formed integral 95 by means of a link 97 is connected to the outer end of a lever arm 98 pivoted at 99 to .the back plate. Lever arm 98 near its center carries a roller 100 which is adapted to bear against the periphery of an actuator 101. Actuator 101 is rigidly mounted on the inner reduced end of a stub shaft 102 (Figs. 1, 2, and 6) which projects through the back late and is mountedtherein for rotation.

he outer end of the stub shaft carries the flag staff 103. Actuator 101 in its periphery is provided with two depressions or valleys 104 and 105 and with a raised portion 106 between said depressions. A stiff spring 107 secured to the outer end .of lever arm 98 forces roller 100 in contact with the periphery of actuator 101. With the fiag'staff in vertical position as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 actuating lever 98 is in its lowest position and by a movement of the flag staff from vertical to horizontal position lever 98 will be raised and then lowered and the same movements will take place when the,

nized with ratchet wheel 52 so that the downward movement of staff 103 will be fol- I lowed by a short tooth indexing of the record strip and the upward movement of the staff by a long tooth indexing, thus providing a short space between the records of the register at the beginning and at the end of each trip and a longer space between the record of one trip and a record of another trip.

The indicating mechanism consists of a number of wheels 108 (Fig. 5) loosely mounted on a shaft 109 for the units indicator and a number of wheels 110 loosely mounted on the same shaft for the extras indicator. The face of each of these wheels is numbered and the wheels are interconnected by means of pawl and ratchet devices as is now common. The indicating and registering mechanism is self contained and ismounted within a housing having side support plates 111 secured to the back plate.

A clock mechanism for operating the registers and indicators when the vehicle is standing still is mounted between frame plates 112 and 113 (Fig. 4) also secured to the back plate by means. of support studs 114.

The mechanism for operating the indicators and registers from the wheels of the vehicle is mounted in a support frame 115 (Figs. 5 and 14) secured to the back plate below the registering mechanism.

The clock mechanism may be of any suitable character and the bulk of this mechanism has not been indicated in the drawings. A winding stem 116 (Fig. 4) enters a socket in spindle 117 (Fig. 3) which extends through the back plate and is provided on its outer end with a suitable knob or handle. The drawings merely show a hair spring 118 and a balance wheel 119 and the meter operating arbor or shaft 120. This shaft has a gear wheel 121 (which is the last wheel of the r poke train)'loosely mounted thereon and interposed between said wheel and said shaft is an overrunning ratchet or clutch device which allows the shaft to rotate in a clockwise direction ahead of the wheel but which causes the wheel-t0 be driven by the clock mechanism when the clock mechanism rotates said shaft while the vehicle is standing still with the flag lowered.

Shaft 120 loosely carries a worm wheel 122 (Fig. 6) and between said worm wheel and shaft 120 another overrunning ratchet or clutch is interposed. A worm 123 mounted on a vertical spindle 124 adapted to be connected to the vehicle wheels meshes with worm wheel 122 so that shaft 120 while the vehicle is running is operated from the vehicle wheels, this being permitted by the overrunning clutch of gear 121. The connection between spindle 124 and the vehicle wheels will be by means of a flexible shaft The rocking frame is provided with a pin 130 engaging a slot 131 in one end of a bell crank lever 132 fulcrumed at 133 on the clock frame, the other end 134 of said lever lies in the path of movement of lever 135 (Figs. 7 and 8) fulcrumed at 136 to the clock frame and normally pulled upward by a strong spring 137. Lever 135 has pivoted thereon at 138 an arm 139 cooperating with the toothed cam disk 1 25. The arm abuts against a stop pin 140 on the lever and is prevented thereby from swinging away from the cam disk. A spring arm 141 pivoted at 142 to bell crank lever 132 has its outer end held in contact with the lower side of lever arm 135 by means of a spring 143. Since cam disk 125 is driven in the direction of the arrow thereon, its cam teeth push arm 139 downward and since the latter lies against, stop pin 140.lever arm 135 is pushed downward permitting bell crank lever 132 to swing to the position shown in Fig. 8. As soon as cam disk 125 is rotated so far that arm 139 slides over the end of one of the cam teeth 126 the spring 137 pulls lever 135 suddenly upward and as said lever engages arm 134 of the bell crank it swings the lower end of said bell crank outwardly or to the left of Fig. 8 and rocks frame 129 causing indicator wheel 108 to move one step forward.

Since cam disk 125 is driven either from the clock or the vehicle wheel, it is apparent that the units'indicator is actuated either from the clock or the vehicle. The train of mechanism is so arranged that this actuation takes place at certain definite periods of time or distance traveled.

Spindle 124 near its lower end is pro vided with a worm 145 (Figs. 6 and 14) 'meshing with a worm wheel 146 on horizontal shaft 147. This worm wheel by means of a pinion 148, a cam wheel 149 and a ratchet 150 operated by means of a bell crank 151 which cooperates with the cam wheel. drives the total miles register wheels 20. This train of mechanism, or the total miles register, is always connected so that the register registers the total mileage that the vehicle travels and this irrespective of whether a passenger has been carried or not.

When the vehicle isrunning with the flag staif turned down, which is done when a passenger is carried, cam disk 125, and therefore the'units indicator and register, is driven from spindle 124, the overrunning ratchet or clutch associated with gear wheel 121 providing the necessary slip to permit this. On the contrary, when the vehicle is standing still with the flag lowered, cam disk 125 is driven by the clock mechanism through gear 121 and its associated overrunning ratchet or clutch, the overrunning ratchet or clutch associated with worm wheel 122 slipping as will be readily understood.

It is desirable that the registering mechanism be set at zero at the beginning of each trip. This is done manually by means of key 181 (Figs. 1 and 4) which rotates the registering mechanism as will be described later. Staff 103 serves as a lever for setting into or out of. operating condition and to prevent staff 103 being lowered orraisedexcept under certain conditions is the function of much of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3.

Stub shaft 102, which mounts stafi' 103 and actuator 101, also mounts a disk 160 provided with sets of oppositely disposed teeth 161 and 162. .Two pawls 163 and 164 are adapted to engage respectively these sets of teeth and are-provided with respective springs 168 and 169 which tend to maintain these pawls in tooth engaging position which would prevent operation of staff 103 in either direction.

Oifsetting the tendency of spring 169 is a lever 170, pivoted at 171 and having an arm 172 engaging a pin 188 on pawl 164. spring 174 tends to pull lever 170 downward and consequently tends" to disengage pawl 164 from teeth 162. Spring 1.74 is heavier than spring 169 and counteracts the pull of the latter.

The lower end of lever 170 is formed in the nature of a toe 173 which is held, by means of a spring 174, against the face of alocking disk 175. The latter is provided on its periphery with. a notch 176 into which the toe 17 3 may enter when said disk is rotated to the position shown in Fig. 3. A ratchet wheel 177 coperating with a pivotally mounted dog 178 held against said ratchet wheel-by means of a spring 179 lies between notched disk 175 and the back plate. Disk 175 is loosely mounted on spindle 180 to which the ratchet wheel is attached.

Disk 175 is provided with an arcuate slot 182 and a pin 183 carried "byithe ratchet plays within said slot.- 'Disk'175 is also provided with an arcuate slot 184 and a coiled tension spring at one end 185 is se cured to disk 175 and at the other end 186 to the ratchet wheel, the spring tends to full disk 175 so that end 187 of slot 182 bears against stop pin 183 of the ratchet wheel The arcuate slots in disk 175, the coiled spring and pin 183 are so positioned that when key 181 (Fig. 4) has been rotated with shaft 180 so as to setthe register at zero, the coiled spring is under tension and tending to pull disk 17 5 in a clockwise'direction but prevented from so doing by the engagement of toe 173. When staif 103 is turned down, a pin 192 on disk 160 moves below and to the left of the corner 193 of a lever 189 pivoted at .171. This lever engages a pin 190 on lever 170 and is yieldably held in contact therewith by spring 191 the other end of which is secured to lever 170. When staff 103 is raised, as at the end of a trip, pin 192 will engage corner 193 in passing, and rotate lever 189 and lever 170 in a clockwise direction far enough to move toe 173 of lever 17 0 out of engagement with notch 176. Disk 175 immediately rotates until the coil spring ends 185 and 186 approach each other. This brings the unnotched portion of the disk periphery adjacent toe 173 and prevents lever 170 assuming the position shown in Fig. 3 and hence its arm 172 does not bear on pin 188 and hold the pawl 164 against the tension of. spring 169. The tooth of pawl 164 will therefore move to position to engage teeth 162 which prevents staff 103 from being lowered, to start another trip, before key 181 is rotated so as to reset the indicator at zero and to bring notch 176 again in position to receive toe 173.

The pivoted end of pawl 164 is provided with a lug 167 adapted to engage a pin 166 on pawl 163 when pawl 164 moves to a position adapted to engage teeth 162. This engagement will move pawl 163 out of tooth engaging position as shown and prevent its interfering with the raising of staff 103.

To summarize this mechanism: Pawl 163 is normally in the position illustrated and thus prevents stafil 103 being raised after once starting downwardly because of its engagement with teeth 161. Pawl-l64 is normally out of engagement with teeth 162 because of pin 188 and lever arm 172, but when flag staff-103 starts upwardly the pawl is released by means of pin 192, lever 189 and pin 190, and engages teeth 162 to prevent a clockwise movement of disk 160. When in this position, its lug 167 holds pawl 163 by pin 166 out of tooth engaging position. Disk 175 is adapted to lock lever 170 out of pawl 164s restraining position,. when -pin 192 moves lever 17 0 as just mentioned and is only moved from so holding lever 17 0 when key 181 is rotated to insure a zero reading of the indicator. I

It is desirable that the driver be unable .to reset theindicating mechanism unless staff 103 is vertical. This desideratum is attained by means of a lever pivoted at 201 and having an upper arm202 and a lower arm 2,03 adapted to engage pawl 178. A pin 200 on the rearof disk 160 engages arm 202,'when staff 103 is upright, so that arm 203 is spaced from the end of pawl 178. Ratchet 177 may now be rotated by key 181 as the pawl tooth Extras indicator and register.

A shaft 205 extends through the back plate and on the outside thereof is provided with an operating handle 206 and on the inner side of the plate with an arm 207 having a serrated foot 208 and a cam.member 209 projecting from one face of said foot.

A spring 218 coiled about shaft 205, connecting it with foot 208, tends to return the foot to the position shown. A similar spring, (not shown) acting between the easing and shaft 205, .returnslever 206 to the position shown. A lever 213 having one end thereof 214 formed in the nature of a dog and the other end 215 extended to contact with the upper side of pin 192 when the flag is in raised position (as shown in Fig. 3) is pivotally mounted at 211. The lower arm-of bell crank 210 is provided with a pin 216 which may be engaged by said dog to raise bell crank 210 and pin 212, to a position where the latter may be engaged by cam face 209 when same is moved downwardly by actuating handle 206. WVhen actuating handle 206 is returned-to upright position, cam face 217 moves pin 212 and, through bell crank 210, pin 216 downwardly, moving dog 214 out of engagement with foot 208 disengaging the serrated face of the latter.

In Fig. 3, the extras indicating and reg istering mechanism is shown in inoperative position and it is not moved to operative position until the flag is lowered, allowing arm 214 to be moved up by a spring 210 (Fig. 1) which is coiled about pivot shaft 211 and contacts with. the left hand side of lever 213 with its other end secured to the back casing. When arm 214 is moved up, a coiled spring 220 holds bell crank 210 and its pin 216 down, with the latter then in contact with dog 214, except when cam face 209 raises the bell crank.

A bell crank lever 221 (Fig. 1) pivoted to the clock frame at 222 has a short arm 223 lying inthe path of the lower arm of bell crank lever 210 and by means of said arm is adapted to be swung upward about its pivotal point. This upward movement being provided by pin 212 riding on cam face 209 when lever 206 is depressed.

The lower arm of bell crank 221 carries a pin 224 (Fig. 6) lying within a slot 225 of a swinging frame 226 pivoted to the shaft 109 for the indicating wheels. A spring 229 tends to pull bell crank 221 and frame 226 to the position shown and returns vthose members to that position when the lower arm of bell crank 210 (Fig. 3) drops, which takes place after cam 209 reaches its extreme downward movement and releases pin 212. Upon the return movement of bell crank 221 and frame 226, a dog 227, carried by said frame, by contacting with a ratchet wheel 228, is adapted to operate the extras indicator and from them, by means of a suitable gear train, to operate the extras registering wheels.

The indicator wheels 108 and 110 are returned to zero position by the rotation of shaft 10?) upon which the indicator wheels are sleeved in the usual way of returning indicators or registers to zero. Shaft 109 is rotated by the following means. The spindle 180 (Fig. 1) of the flag unlocking means is provided witha beveled pinion 230 which meshes with a similar pinion 231 on a short spindle 231 mounted in the end of the housing for the indicating and registering mechanism. This spindle carries a gear 232 provided with teeth on a portion of its periphery only and meshing with a similar gear 233 on the end of shaft 109. When the flag-is unlocked, the caring described rotates shaft 109 and through the same returns the indicators wheels 108 and 110 to zero. The return to zero is affected before the complete rotation of the flag locking disk 175 and for the further rotation of said disk to complete the full rotation and permit unlocking of the flag, the blank portions of wheels 232 and 233 are provided. The rotation of handle or knob 181 therefore performs two functions, first, to unlock the flag and, second, to return the indicators'to zero. The front wall of the casing,'it will be understood, will be provided with the usual window and a plate 234, (Fig. 2) bearing the word Hired and Not hired or other suitable legend, is secured by studs 235 to a sliding bar 236. This bar is shifted up and down, to display. through thewindow, the legends mentioned according as the taxi is in use or not. The shifting mechanism comprises staff 103, disk 160, pin 237, (Fig. 3) lever 238 (Fig. 7) which is pinned to a shaft 239 carrying lever 240 which engages the upper stud 235 on bar 236.

Bar 236 carries a pin 241 to which one end of tension spring 144 is secured. The

opposite end of spring 1 14 is secured to frame plate 112 and the function of spring 1 14: is to relieve frictional and other re-' sistance to the upward movement of bar 236 produced by downward movement of staff 103. When bar 236 is brought to its upper position by the downward movement of staff 103, pin 241 is raised to the position shown in Fig. 7 where it does not contact with lever 135 and the latter is therefore free to be maintained by spring 137 in the position shown except when moved by arm 139 and cam teeth 126 to operate the units register.

When bar 236 is moved to its lower position by upward movement of staff 103, pin 241 engages the end of lever 135 and pulls pin 140 away from arm 139. Shaft 120 and disk 125 can now rotate, driven by the taxi traction wheels, without operating the units register as arm 139 will ride over cam teeth 126 without contacting with pin 140 and affecting lever 135. Thus the functioning of the units register is controlled by the location of the flag staff.

The entire apparatus is completely sealed and the driving connection from the vehicle is also sealed. The driver consequently can not tamper with the interior of the device and his operations are limited to the rotation of the knob for unlocking the flag and setting the indicators at zero, to pulling down the flag when unlocked, thus making a printed record at the beginning of the trip, to operating the extras register while the flag is down and to raising the flag, thus making a printed record of the registering mechanism at the end of the trip. He can perform no other manipulation with the device without detection. Whenever he starts to pull the flag dowrihe must complete its downward movement and similarly when he starts to put it up this movement must be completed. With each movement a prlnted record is made and since the records of each trip are segregated from those of the next following trip his chances to cheat are reduced to a minimum.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is I 1. In a taximeter, a total miles counter, a

.unitscounter, a movable flag or signal,

means operated by said flag or signal to render said units counter'operative at the beginning of a trip or inoperative at the end of a trip, printing mechanism associated with said counters and arranged to be operated upon each reverse movement of said flag or signal and record strip advancing operative at the end of the movement of said I flag or signal in one direction and inoperative at the end of the movement in the opposite direction, clock mechanism for operating said unit counter when rendered opera tive and while the total miles counter is at nism operative or inoperative,a platen ar ranged to cooperate with said counters, and means operated by the movement of said flag or signal for intermittently moving a record strip between said platen and said counters whenever said lever is moved either to render said mechanism operative or inoperative.

4. In a taximeter, a total miles'counter, a unit counter, an extras counter, a flag or signal arranged when moved to render said unit and extras counters operative or inop-- erative, a record strip, a platen arranged to be operated upon the movement of said flag or signal for cooperating with said counters, and means operated by the movement of said flag or signal for intermittently moving said strip in steps of two lengths whereby the records of one trip are segregated from those of. the next.

5. In a taximeter, registers, mechanism for intermittently actuating the same,-a flag or signal arranged when moved in opposite directions to render said mechanism operative or inoperative respectively, means operated upon the movement of said flag or signal for counter mechanisms, a flag or signahhaving two extreme positions of movement, a record strip, means for causing said strip to be advanced upon each movement of said flag or signal, said means being arranged so as to advance the strip farther upon one movement of said flag or signal than upon the other movement, and a platen operated upon the movement of said flag or signal for printing a record of said counter mechanisms upon said strip.

7. In a taximeter, a continuously operat ing total miles counter, a unit counter, a flag or signal movable in one direction at the beginning of a trip and in an opposite direction at the end of a trip and arranged to render said unit counter operative or inoperative, a record strip, means for advancing said strip a certain distance upon one movement of said flag or signal and a greater distance upon the otherthereof, and a platen cooperating with said strip and said counters for printing a record thereof.

8. In a taximeter, a counter mechanism, a flag or signal adapted to be moved in one direction at the beginning of a trip and in the opposite direction at the end of a trip, means controlled by the movement of said flag or signal for rendering said counter mechanism operative or inoperative, a rec- 0rd strip, and means arranged to advance said strip a greater distance upon the movement of said flag or signal at the beginning of a trip and a less distance at the end of a trip, and a platen cooperating with said counter mechanism and said record strip to print a record thereon upon each movement of said flag or signal.

9. In a taximeter, counter mechanism, a

flag or signal lever arranged to be moved at the beginning and end of each trip to render said mechanism operative or inoperative respectively, a printing mechanism associated with said counter mechanism and said lever for automatically printing a record of said counter mechanism at the beginning and end of'each trip and constructed so as to segregate the records of one trip from those of the next trip.

10. In a taximeter, a total miles counter, a unit counter, a unit indicator operating said unit counter, a flag or signal having two extreme positions of movement, means for locking said flag in one position, means operable upon the release of said lock for resetting said unit indicator, printing mechanism associated with said counters and operated upon the,movement of said flag to print a record of said counters upon each of said movements, a record strip comprised in said printing mechanism,and' means for advancing said strip so as to segregate the records of one trip from those of the preceeding trip. r

11. In a taximeter, a total miles counter, a unit counter, a unit indicator operating said unit counter, a flag or signal having two extreme positions of movement, means for locking said flag in one position, means operable upon the release of said lock for resetting said unit indicator, printing mechanism associated with said counters and operated upon the movement of said flag to print a record of said counters upon each of said movements, said printing mechanism comprising a record strip, means for' advancing said strip so as to segregate the records of one trip from those of the next trip, a platen operable upon the movement of said flag or signal, and means in the platen operating mechanism for delaying its operation until the record strip has been brought to rest.

12. In a taximeter, registers, mechanism for intermittently actuating the same, a flag or signal arranged when moved to render said mechanism operative or inoperative, a pivoted lever operated upon the movement of said flag or signal, a record strip, a spring actuated platen cooperating with said registers, means operated upon the movement of said lever for advancing said record strip different distances whereby the records on said strip are grouped in pairs.

13. In a taximeter, a flag or signal having two positions, registering mechanism, connections for intermittently operating said mechanism, means whereby said registering mechanism is rendered inoperative in one position of the flag or signal and operative in the other position, in combination with printing mechanism comprising a spring operated platen arranged to be released and reset upon each movement of said flag or signal, a record strip, and means operated from said flag or signal for advancing said strip a greater distance when said flag or signal is moved in one direction than in the other direction.

14. In a taximeter, a total miles counter, a unit counter, a movable staff, means between said staii and said unit counter for rendering said unit counter operative at the end of the movement of said staff in one direction and inoperative at the end of the movement of said staff in the opposite direction, clock mechanism for operating said unit counter when rendered operative and while said total miles counter is at rest, a record strip, means, actuated by movement of said staff, to render said unit counter operative, for printing a record of said counters upon said strip, and means actuated by movement of said sta'i o move said record strip before each printing.

15. In a taximeter, a unit counter, a movable stafi", means operated by said staff for rendering said counter operative at the end of the movement. of said staff in one direction and inoperative at the end of the movement of said staff in the opposite direction, mechanism for operating said counter when rendered operative by said stafi, a record strip, and means actuated by movement of said staff, in either direction, for printing a record of said counter upon said strip at the end of each movement of said stafl.

16. In a taximeter, a unit counter, mechanism for actuating the same, a staff adapted, when moved in opposite directions, to render said mechanism operative or in operative respectively, a platen adapted to cooperate with said counter, and means actuated by movement of said staff in either direction for advancing a record strip between said platen and said counters at the end of each movement of said staff.

17. In a taxiineter, counter mechanism, a

signal staff adapted, when moved, to render said meqhanism operative or inoperative according to the direction of stafi move- 5 ment, a printing mechanism associated with v 18. In a taximeter, aflag or signal having two positions,.registering mechanism,

connections for intermittently operating 15 said mechanism, means whereby 'sald registering mechanism is rendered inoperative in one position of the flag or signal and operative in the other position, the combination with printing' mechanism comprising a spring operated platen arranged to be re-- leased and reset upon each movement of said flag or signal, a record strip, and means operated from said flag, or signal for advancin said strip, the distanceof advance depen ing upon the direction of, movement of said'flag or signal.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 26th, day of October, 1918.v

WM. EI SENSGHMID. 

